A Picture Paints A Thousand Words
by LE McMurray
Summary: Hiding from the rest of the team Daniel makes a friend


Author's Notes:- Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.

* * *

Daniel took in a deep breath of the clean crisp air as he sat at the top of the hill. He'd managed to avoid every member of his team and made a clean getaway so he could spend some time alone. He liked it up here, it wasn't too high but it gave an amazing view of the forest that he loved to look at. He'd found it one day not long after he'd returned to Earth when he needed to get away from everything.

He jumped as he heard a noise behind him.

Oh God please don't be Jack, he thought to himself.

Turning he felt relief as a young woman appeared looking exhausted. She had strawberry-blonde short bobbed hair, pale skin that was flushed from the exertion of her climb and bright emerald green eyes. She was wearing jeans with a loose sky blue sweatshirt and had a backpack slung haphazardly over her shoulder

"It didn't look that steep," she muttered to herself before she saw him, "Sorry. I didn't realise anyone was here."

"It's okay," he gave her a half-smile motioning to a spot on the ground, "You look like you need a rest."

"It didn't look that steep," she repeated with a roll of her eyes as she dropped to sit near him overlooking the forest, "But boy is the view worth it."

"Yeah," he agreed with a sigh.

Looking back over at her he couldn't stop his amused grin seeing her gulping down a bottle of water before pulling out a bar of chocolate. Seeing him looking over she broke the bar in two and offered him half.

"Thanks," Daniel smiled accepting the candy, "So what compelled you to start the climb?"

"I'm on holiday and I wanted to sketch the view," she answered.

"You're an artist?" he asked with a smile.

"I like to think so," she laughed, "I'm Lizzie."

"Daniel," he offered her his hand, which she shook.

"What about you?" she asked, "Why did you climb here?"

Daniel sighed, "Needed alone time away from my friends."

"I'm sorry I'm interrupting."

"It's not a problem," Daniel laughed, "I'm just trying to avoid them."

"Do you mind if I draw you?" Lizzie asked him suddenly.

"What?" Daniel was taken back.

"It's you have an interesting face," she replied, "I like to capture people I talk to."

"Well, if you're sure you want to," he shrugged, "Will it take long?"

"Just a few minutes," she told him digging out her pad and pencils, "Just sit still."

x

About fifteen minutes later Lizzie dropped her pencil with a flourish.

"Can I see it?" he asked.

"Sure," she shrugged, "But I warn you I'm not that brilliant."

When she passed him the pad he gasped slightly, it was a beautiful drawing and looked exactly like him.

"Wow, you're really talented."

A slight blush coloured her cheeks, "Well, I love doing it so I may as well."

Daniel laughed before an idea suddenly occurred to him.

"Could you sketch someone from a photograph?" he asked.

Lizzie mused for a second before shrugging, "Sure."

Daniel pulled out his wallet and flipping through it found the picture of Sha're he kept there. It was a smaller version of the one that sat in his office and that sat on his bedside table.

"Could you draw her?"

"Yes," Lizzie smiled as she looked at the woman smiling in the photo, "She's beautiful. Who is she?"

Daniel swallowed slightly, "My wife. She's working out of the country just now," Daniel felt amazed he managed to say that realistically, "Anyway, I was wondering if you could draw me something I could frame."

Lizzie smiled, "Do you want one of the both of you?"

Daniel's eyes lit up, "That would be great."

"Just a question," Lizzie said as she clipped Sha're's picture to her pad, "Are you taller than her?"

"A little," Daniel smiled.

"Okay," she gave him a smile, "Give me another half hour."

x

Daniel could hear the scratching of Lizzie's pencil as he sat staring across the horizon again. He wasn't sure if he really wanted this but he couldn't turn back now.

"And I'm done," she called, "What do you think?"

Daniel felt his mouth drop at the picture. She had drawn him with his head resting against Sha're's, his arms wrapped around her and a smile on both of their faces.

"This is incredible," he whispered amazed how she'd managed to capture Sha're's spirit from the photograph, "Thank you Lizzie."

"You obviously miss her," the young woman smiled, "Well, I hope she likes it."

"I can't just take this," he said still staring at it, "What do you want for it?"

"The praise was enough," Lizzie smiled.

"No…I…" he glanced a this watch, "At least let me buy you lunch?"

"You've got a deal," she grinned throwing her stuff in her bag before taking a black tube out, rolling the picture up and sliding it inside, "This will protect it."

"You don't know what this picture means to me," Daniel said softly before gathering himself up, "Lunch?"

"Lead the way," she grinned.

x

Daniel stood back and admired the drawing.

He'd managed to find the perfect gold frame for it and agonised where in his apartment to hang it. Thinking back to the young woman who he'd met he smiled, her generosity was unbelievable and at lunch he'd insisted she sign the picture.

A knocking broke him from his reverie and he sighed.

"Yes Jack," he asked opening the door to his friend, "What is it?"

"I was wondering what you were doing," Jack told him walking in, "What are you doing?"

He stopped dead as he saw the picture.

"Incredible isn't it?" Daniel said.

"Where did it come from?" Jack asked gazing in wonder at the portrait.

Daniel quickly explained turning to stare at it again.

"I'm sure she'll love it," Jack told him before tapping his shoulder, "We have a briefing in a half hour."

"I'm coming," Daniel said as he picked up his jacket and keys.

He took one more look at the picture before heading back to the base and his search for his wife.


End file.
